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I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET!!!

amd68amd68
in Ohio-Columbus
I will just be getting out of school before my fiance and I are getting married and it is putting a huge gap in what we are able to afford. We wont be able to get any help from anyone so all the costs are coming out of our pockets. The wedding wont be until May of 2011 so I still have quite a bit of time- but I am a early planner and want everything done now haha.
If any one could give me ideas on something that is cheap in the columbus area that would be great. I need all the help i can get
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Re: I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET!!!

  • Alko726Alko726
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    First off, congratulations.  :)

    As for cheap, I've done a ton of research for inexpensive cakes and flowers, and they were the two most frustrating things to look for for me.   In the end, my favorites were also the best priced IMO.

    Now that you've got some time, I suggest looking into Anita Kline cakes -- she works out of her home and her prices are the best!  She's the sweetest lady, incredible talent, and one of our favorite vendors.  She books super early and all of her business comes from word of mouth (which says a LOT), so now's your chance to schedule a tasting! :)  Her contact: abcj22@earthlink.net

    Flowers on Springtree Lane -- owned by two ladies (Anne and Robin) that also work out of their homes (low overhead = lower cost to you).  They're VERY creative and super nice as well!  The worked with my ever changing budget and come up with new ideas that fit into the vision I had for my wedding and I can't say enough great things about them!  :)  Contact: http://www.flowersonspringtreelane.com/

    Good luck!

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  • jnkreagerjnkreager member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    Congrats on getting engaged!

    I want to preface this help with saying that I, myself have not yet planned a wedding, but I am starting to (heavily) help my sister plan hers as she lives out of town.

    That being said, Columbus has a lot of great options.  Check out places that allow you to bring in your own alcohol because that can literally save thousands.  A few options in the area are Taylor Mansion, Clintonville Women's Club, Columbus Athenaeum, Smith Brother's (both the Loft and the Venue), St. Charles Prep School, North Bank Pavillion, and the Olde Gahanna Sanctuary.

    Secondly, consider having your ceremony and reception at the same place.  This obviously saves on decorations, but it also saves $$ on vendors that you have to pay by the hour.  I personally like this idea anyway because it can be hard for elderly grandparents to travel...plus people inevitably end up getting lost!

    Check out public parks.  The Whetstone Park of Roses is available for rent for a modest price.  And it would make a beautiful setting for a cerimony!

    Consider making your own bouquets and centerpieces.  Wholesale flowers (and silk flowers) can be much cheaper than going with a florist.  There are several how-to videos on YouTube with good instructions.  If you get silk flowers, you can make them in advance and that is one less stressor the week before your wedding.

    Lastly, keep the wedding party small.  You would be surprised how much gifts, bouquets, etc. can add up!

    Good luck!

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  • buckeyebabe19sbuckeyebabe19s member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    prioritize what is the most important to you and work out payment plans with those who will allow it!
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  • BCsGalBCsGal member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Consider having your wedding on a Friday or Sunday.  Many vendors, not just reception sites, will give you a discount.
    Christina & Brandon - August 7, 2010 Anniversary
    My Planning Bio | My Married Bio | FOR SALE!
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  • brih86brih86 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Congrats!

    I second most of what the other ladies already said and also, I would check out the DIY board for some great, inexpensive ideas!
    Wedding Planning Bio/Blog
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  • BrittBritt22BrittBritt22 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I second both vendors Alko suggested.
    You also have plenty of time to DIY so take advantage of it.  And start earlier than you thought.  I kept putting everything off and now I am scrambling to make my DIY invites because I need to send them out soon.
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  • Brit12Brit12 member
    First Comment First Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    My FI and I are paying for the entire wedding ourselves also, so I know how frustrating it can be. Since you're so far out I would recommend doing things yourself whenever you have an opportunity, it definitely saves some money. We are planning a wedding and reception for under $10,000 for 200 people - here are our vendors:

    Flowers: Fifttflowers.com - ordering flowers in bulk to save money, doing the bouquets and half the centerpieces ourselves.

    Decorations, misc. supplies: save-on-crafts.com; we're buying shephards hooks, paper lanterns, river rock, and other stuff from here for our centerpieces and ceremony decorations.

    Decorations, mis. supplies: hobby lobby. there's one off of Brice Rd. in Reynoldsburg. We bought TONS of supplies there like ribbon, feathers, ceramic columns for the alter displays, and a cool hat box to use for our DIY card box.

    Photography: picperfectportraits.com - we're just getting all our photos on disc to print ourselves, but their prints are also pretty cheap. they also do videography

    Catering: Laura's Catering - lauras-catering.com. We are doing a buffet for 175 people for $15/ person, including apps and salads and bar set up (mixers and garnishes and glasses and napkins)

    Invites/ Paper stuff: luckily my sister and I are starting our own custom invite business (she's a professional graphic designer), so all my invites are at-cost for the paper and printing. I'd be happy to do the same for you... but please contact me directly because I don't want to get flagged for being a vendor - I really am here for the purposes of planning my own wedding. (britanee@gmail.com)

    Transportation: Bexley Beat

    Reception: Olde Gahanna Sanctuary. You can bring in your own caterer, bartenders, and alcohol, which I've found is what saves the MOST money. There's a few other places around Columbus that are similar.

    Ceremony: Wexner Park, New Albany. We wanted an outdoor ceremony so we looked at all the parks & rec depts for the suburbs around Cbus and found a few places that had nice gazebos or areas you can reserve.

    We found our officiant on craigslist and he's proved to be awesome. FI's sister's band is playing our reception, and wehave friends that are bartenders so we were able to do a few things at no cost, which really helped. If you need any other advice let me know!
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  • Myroni03Myroni03
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Our huge money saver is that we will be getting married outside of Columbus in my hometown east of Columbus at a local college.
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  • iceprincess33iceprincess33 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    Anita Kline is awesome, she is making our cake! Such a sweet lady.

    I decided to go with wholesale flowers - pioneerwholesale is great, you have to be a business to order from them though.  So if you know of anyone that has a small business.  I ordered all of my flowers for bouquets, boutineers, centerpieces, and other decorations from there. I probably spent around $300 for all of the supplies.  Paper luminaries are a great way to go for an inexpensive centerpiece idea.  Just buy card stock when it is onsale at JoAnnes and cut out your table number from it and include a votive.

    Another great way to save money is to have your wedding in the "off" season.  A lot of places rent out at a cheaper rate before April.  Many of them also waive the minimums.

    Good Luck with your planning!

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